19 replies to this topic

[neeko]

Hi,

i have to build a MS-DOS floppy image which supports network (with login - password). I'm a little bit lost with tutorials, and as i've no idea about how MS-DOS works, it doesn't help me.

Please help me

[betrand]

Hullo

Have a look here.
Cheers

[muggles]

I've had success years ago with this:
http://netbootdisk.com/

[neeko]

Thanks

I'll try it and give you a feed back

[neeko]

Ok, i can consider it almost works. Almost ...

I download an image from netbootdisk. I put it in my PXE, it boots. There is an autoexec.bat which is supposed to set up network. But C: drive access is denied, probably because of PXE. So i think driver can not be installed.

Any idea ? For example, pre-install the driver ?

[Sha0]

Any idea ? For example, pre-install the driver ?

Which image did you download? Why is it trying to access the C: drive? What messages are nearest to the error message? What is the error message?

[neeko]

I downloaded netbootdisk's image.

I don't know why it is trying access the C: drive. It boots, and when it is supposed to launch autoexec.bat, access to C: is denied. That's all, no more informations.

I tried many other images, but i don't know anything about DOS.

At work, already built images contain softwares (like HDDup), and i have no idea how it was done, no one does. It's an old trainee's work.

[betrand]

Hi,



How are you booting the floppy? From a real floppy disk, from grub4dos>image file?
I presume Real drive.
(As I presume too that wouldn't change the letter anyway )

Could it be linked to autoexec.bat's:

netboot\getdrive>%ramd%\a.bat
call %ramd%\a.bat
set a=%drive%
echo . Boot drive auto-detected as %a% drive

But anyway Config.sys=

install=NetBoot\RDISK.COM /S8 /:N

So I have no idea why it tries accessing C:

r.

[Wonko the Sane]

If you are booting from PXE, there is NO "real floppy", nor (possibly) an already partitioned and formatted to a DOS compatible filesystem local disk drive.

As always, what is your goal? (not how yout think you should reach it)

Anyway, post the contents of the autoexec.bat of the floppy image you are using.

If it calls an "a.bat" post also the contents of the latter...


Wonko

[neeko]

My goal is to enable network support, for now in DOS, in softs like HDDup if possible (i have got some .img of that).

Here is my Autoexec.bat : http://dl.dropbox.co...28/Autoexec.bat

betrand : i'm booting from PXE, not a real floppy

Edited by neeko, 01 June 2011 - 07:44 AM.

[Wonko the Sane]

Add in autoexec.bat a couple lines:

:STEP4

MKDIR %ramdisk%NCDOS

MKDIR %ramdisk%DOS

:STEP4
ECHO Ramdisk drive letter is %ramdisk%
Pause
MKDIR %ramdisk%NCDOS
MKDIR %ramdisk%DOS

Try booting from it.

What drive letter is displayed ?

WHAT id "HDDup"?

This?:
http://www.copyrsoft...emid=59&lang=en


Wonko

[neeko]

It's a software, with an hardware part, yes.

Wow, %ramdisk% is full of void ^^

[Wonko the Sane]

FINDRAMD

if errorlevel=6 GOTO DRIVEF

if errorlevel=5 GOTO DRIVEE

if errorlevel=4 GOTO DRIVED

if errorlevel=3 GOTO DRIVEC

GOTO END

Change the snippet above and add errorlevels, like:

FINDRAMD
if errorlevel=26 ECHO Z
...
...
if errorlevel=7 ECHO G
if errorlevel=6 ECHO F
if errorlevel=5 ECHO E
if errorlevel=4 ECHO D
if errorlevel=3 ECHO C
PAUSE
GOTO END

See the box here for reference:
http://www.robvander.../errorlevel.php


Wonko

[neeko]

Well, it echoes "C", and now ?

[Wonko the Sane]

Well, it echoes "C", and now ?

Try again the initial change.

Explanation:
this:

FINDRAMD

executes a program that returns an errorlevel depending on the drive letter the ramdisk drive (most probably loaded through a line in config.sys), in your setup the generated errorlevel appears to be 3.
the:

if errorlevel=3 GOTO DRIVEC

(which was now replaced temporarily by "if errorlevel=3 ECHO C" and actually returned "C") tells to go to the "DRIVEC" label (jumping over the other parts of the batch).
Thus when the execution gets here:

:DRIVEC

set ramdisk=C:\

GOTO STEP4

the ramdisk variable should get value "C:\"

Now, when you get here:

:STEP4
ECHO Ramdisk drive letter is %ramdisk%
Pause
MKDIR %ramdisk%NCDOS
MKDIR %ramdisk%DOS

you should read on the screen:

Ramdisk drive letter is C:\
Press any key to continue ....

Can you check again?


Wonko

[neeko]

Yeah, i understood what the script is supposed to be (i'm a programmer, that script is pretty simple ^^).

So, it displays what you typed now.

But the access is still denied.

[Wonko the Sane]

So, if you are a programmer (or even if you are not), you should have by now learned the way to troubleshoot an autoexec.bat (or more generally a batch file).

You add a check point in the script ECHOing something or using SET and with a PAUSE immediately following it.

This way you check values of variables at various stages.

You move this check point (or add several ones) until you find WHICH actual command in the batch causes the problem, then you find a way to solve the problem.

Just as an example, the next addition I would make would be (after having modified first line to "::@ECHO OFF"):

:STEP4
MKDIR %ramdisk%NCDOS
MKDIR %ramdisk%DOS

PATH=%ramdisk%;%ramdisk%NCDOS;%ramdisk%DOS;A:\
SET PATH
PAUSE
SET TEMP=%ramdisk%
SET TMP=%ramdisk%

Wonko

[neeko]

I know enough to understand the script, no necessarly to debug it

I don't know DOS at all, it used it for the last time more 10 years ago, to launch Publisher ^^

I can't either spend to much time on it, i have to take care about Win7PE and "Linux-PXE" in the same time. I'll try to do what you say anyway.

Thanks

[Sha0]

My guess would be that the RAM disk DOS driver is failing to provide a RAM disk as the C: drive. You might temporarily rename AutoExec.Bat to some other name, then observe how Config.Sys behaves, included any error messages in regards to the RAM disk.

Also, if you are PXE-booting the floppy image, how are you doing so? With PXELINUX and MEMDISK?

[neeko]

Also, if you are PXE-booting the floppy image, how are you doing so? With PXELINUX and MEMDISK?

Yep. It perfectly works with other DOS images.